Albania climbs in press freedom rankings, while Kosovo sees sharpest decline in 15 years

Albania has made a significant leap in press freedom, ranking 80th in the 2025 Reporters Without Borders index—19 spots higher than last year. Meanwhile, Kosovo has suffered the worst drop in the region, falling to 99th place in what is being described as its steepest decline in over a decade.

Why is this important: Albania’s progress marks a step forward in legal reform and journalist safety—but much remains to be done. Kosovo’s dramatic fall, on the other hand, underscores growing concerns about press repression under Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s government.

Context: The 2025 World Press Freedom Index highlights measurable improvements in Albania’s media environment. The country advanced 42 positions in the “Security” category and climbed 16 places in the “Legal” framework.

• Security: Albania rose from 112th to 70th place.
• Legal framework: Now ranked 53rd, up from 69th.
• Social context: Slight rank increase to 68th, despite a dip in scoring.

Reporters Without Borders notes that while progress is evident, challenges remain. Conflicts of interest between media owners, political elites, and business interests continue to undermine editorial independence. Questionable court rulings have also limited reporting on matters of public concern, and protections for source confidentiality remain weak.

Kosovo has dropped 24 positions in just one year, landing at 99^th place—its worst performance since joining the index. This continues a downward trend: in 2024, it had already fallen from 56th to 75th place.

The sharp decline has prompted a response from the German Embassy in Prishtina, which called the results alarming. “Kosovo ranks at the bottom of the region—worse than Serbia,” the embassy stated. The report, it said, should serve as a “to-do list” for the Kurti government.

Reporters Without Borders cited growing political pressure on media, increased threats to journalists, and a deteriorating climate for independent reporting as key reasons for Kosovo’s fall.

What else: Other Western Balkan countries saw minor changes. Thus, Montenegro improved slightly, rising to 37^th, North Macedonia declined to 42nd from 36^th and Bosnia and Herzegovina sits at 86^th place.

Serbia is at 96^th place, now ranking ahead of Kosovo.

The regional contrast is stark: while Albania moves forward—albeit with caveats—Kosovo’s regression casts a long shadow over its democratic credibility. For Kurti’s administration, the latest data is more than a red flag; it’s a political liability.